Initially, the organisation hosted lectures and discussions with mainly Serbian intellectuals, united by their opposition to the nationalist policies of Slobodan Milošević. The Belgrade Circle formed links with NGOs in other parts of the former Yugoslavia, and began to gain an international reputation, hosting lectures by internationally acclaimed intellectuals including Jacques Derrida and Richard Rorty. The organisation now focuses on strengthening civil society, and works in co-operation with universities and academics from across the world. It also publishes the Belgrade Circle Journal, which is a member of the Eurozine network.